Sister Abby
by The Needless Lobsters
Summary: Based on the poem 'Sister Maude'. When Abigail Gibbs find out a secret that could ruin her sister's life, she has to make a decision to either tell it or leave it...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey people! This is a new story I thought up during English class! I hope you like it!  
>This story is based on the poem 'Sister Maude' by Christina Rossetti, and when we were reading it in class I wondered what would happen if it based NCIS characters instead...<br>I have my English assessment tomorrow, so this is kind of a preparartion.**

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><p>I sat in the corner of the room, bawling as my sister screamed and yelled curses at me, not caring who heard.<p>

"You killed him!" she screamed over and over. I hunched further into the corner to get away from her fury.

"I…I didn't mean to…" I sobbed.

"But you did! You killed him!"

I flinched and tried to crawl away, only to find that I was already in the corner and that I couldn't move any further. I looked up at Ziva with pleading eyes.

"Please, Ziva. I'm sorry," I whispered.

"I hate you! You are the worst sister ever!" She stormed out of my room, kicking the door open and slamming it shut. I could literally feel the vibrations of her footsteps before I heard the slam of her own door shut.

I sat there and cried. What's the point of living if your twin hates you?

I could hear the voice of Tony's older sister - basically my role model - repeating in my head.

"_It wasn't your fault… it wasn't your fault…"_

"How is this not my bloody fault?" I screamed. The window opened, and her head poked in.

Maybe I wasn't hearing things…

She climbed in and sat next to me, cradling me and rocking me back and forth.

"Shhh," she hushed me. "Just tell me what happened."

I looked up into her eyes. I should start from the beginning…

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	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter, people! I hope you like it!**

**A.N: *Update - 16/06/13* I finally made the decision to edit that phrase that was pointed out by the anonymous reviewer. I know it's been just over a year, and I should have done it before, but I've edited it now.**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>I sat outside the library, waiting for my sister to arrive <em>again<em>. This was the third time this week she was late, and it was only Tuesday! I pulled out my mirror and looked at myself, making sure my makeup was alright.

My name is Abigail Jennifer Gibbs, although my friends just call me Abby. I'm sixteen years old, and I attend the local high school with my friends and my twin sister. I have black hair that I usually tie back into pigtails, and my appearance always includes black lipstick with a red t-shirt and a red and black pleated skirt, and sometimes I end up deciding whether to wear platforms, heels or flats. Some people wouldn't really say I'm a goth, because I'm always so bubbly and such, but if you knew me, you'd know otherwise. (There _can_ be bubbly Goths, you know.)

I closed my mirror as I heard some footsteps heading towards me. I turned and saw two people walking towards me, neither of them my older sister. I smiled as my two best friends from school walked up to me.

The first, and the tallest, had light brown hair and deep green eyes. His hair was gelled, and he was wearing a pair of faded jeans with a grey t-shirt and a dark Nike hoodie. He was wearing black converse, and he had a schoolbag slung over his shoulder.

The second one, who was a bit shorter, had green eyes, a little lighter than the other's, and brownish-blonde hair. He was a little chubby around the face, wearing dark jeans with a light button-up shirt and a leather jacket. The top button of his shirt was unbuttoned casually, and he also had a schoolbag slung over his shoulder. The difference was that his bag looked full of books compared to the barely full bag of the other boy.

They waved at me as they walked over. I smiled.

"Hey Tony, hey Tim!" I greeted each in turn. Tony smiled at me.

"Hey, Abby." He frowned a little. "What are you doing out here all on your own?"

"Yeah," Tim agreed. "I thought you were meant to be with Ziva?"

I sighed. "She said she needed to go see someone, and that I should meet her here." I looked at my watch. "She was meant to be here ten minutes ago!"

"Maybe she's with that mystery guy again," Tony spat, looking disgusted at the thought. I frowned.

"What guy?" I asked. Both boys stared at me in shock.

"You don't know anything about her new boyfriend?" Tim asked. My eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"New boyfriend?"

Just then, I heard the purr of an engine. I turned to see a sleek black car pulling up on the road beside us. All of us stared in awe.

"Woah…" Tim muttered.

"That's a Porsche 911 Turbo!" Tony exclaimed. "A car that I could only dream of seeing!"

"Cool," I whispered.

"I'm glad you like it."

All three of us looked up to see a man, probably in his early twenties or so, climbing out of the driver's side of the car. He had short, dark, slightly curly hair and brown eyes, and he had this lopsided smile that I thought was quite cute. He wore a plain white shirt with jeans and converse.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"My boyfriend." Ziva climbed out of the passenger seat.

Meet my sister, Ziva Tali Gibbs. She has dark hair, like I do, but was fortunate enough to inherit naturally tanned skin from our mom's side. My skin was only pale because of my lack of enthusiasm to go outside. She was also the more sporty one out of us, usually wearing khakis and a tank top.

But not today.

Today, she wore a white t-shirt and a skirt, with white flats, and had her naturally very curly hair tied back in a ponytail. Tony and Tim gaped whilst I just raised an eyebrow.

"Boyfriend?" I glared at her.

Ziva shook her head before turning to the mystery boyfriend. "I'll see you soon? I have to go now."

The boy – no, _man_ – nodded. He blew her a kiss before sitting back in the car. "See you soon, Ziva!"

As Ziva stepped onto the curb, the car sped off, leaving dust in its trails. I was still glaring at her as she brushed the dust off her clothes. Tony, on the other hand, was drooling over her.

"You clean up nice, Gibbs," he complimented. Ziva smiled.

"Thank you, DiNozzo."

"Well, we should get going," Tim told us. "Kate should be waiting for us at home."

Tony nodded. "Yeah. See you around, Gibbs!" The two boys walked off, talking about the car and everything that had happened.

Ziva turned to me. "What?"

"A boyfriend? And you didn't even tell me?" I exclaimed.

Ziva sighed and started walking off. I frowned and ran to catch up with her.

"How come you never told me about this, Ziva?" I asked. "I thought we were BFFs to the end? You know, trust buddies?"

Ziva just walked on, ignoring my questions.

"Ziva? Why won't you answer me? Ziva!" I grabbed her arm and yanked her back. She span to look at me.

"Because you'll tell, I know you will," she answered before starting to walk again.

I stood there, confused for a moment, before running to catch up with her. "How do you know I'll tell?" I asked.

"Because you told when I pushed you out of the window!" Ziva yelled.

"That was because I could've died," I pointed out.

Ziva sighed and walked on.

"But I didn't tell when you shoved me into those nettles!" I called out after her.

Ziva froze.

"Or when you forced me to eat those worms!" I added. Ziva turned to look at me.

"Do you promise to keep it a secret?" she asked me. "Do you, Abby?"

"Of course!" I nodded manically.

She held out her pinky, just as she used to do when we were younger. "Pinky swear?"

I smiled and held out my pinky, interlocking it with hers. "Pinky swear, with cherries on top."

Ziva laughed. "_With cherries on top_? Seriously Abby?" She started walking again.

I skipped along beside her. "Of course! You can't do anything without the cherries!"

Ziva shook her head. "I have one crazy sister."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Hey readers! Sorry for the long wait. I've been working on my other stories, so I've been spending less time on this...  
>Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!<strong>

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><p>I sat in my room, quietly contemplating Ziva's boyfriend.<p>

The guy was cute, with his curly brown hair and the brown eyes. He had this childish yet manly look to him, which I thought made him look even cuter.

But something seemed off about him to me. I thought it was jealously, but then I realized there was already a guy with a place in my heart. It couldn't have been jealously.

So what was it?

I was in the middle of thinking when my mom walked into the room.

Now, if you looked at my mom, you'd be surprised that Ziva and I were even related to her. Apart from me inheriting her eyes, we looked nothing alike. Ziva inherited her darker, tanned skin from her side because her parents were from California. Other than that, we inherited everything else from our dad.

Our mom, Jennifer Gibbs, has short red hair and green eyes. She had a slim figure, which both Ziva and I inherited, and loves to read. She also loves chocolate – a fact that I kept especially for Mother's day when I wanted to impress her. It works every time.

"Abigail, are you alright?" she asked me.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm fine, mom. What's with the formalities all of a sudden?"

My mom joined me on the bed. "Nothing, Abby. I was just wondering, since you haven't been talking to us a lot, if you had something on your mind?" She looked at me pointedly.

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I lied easily which I think was quite a feat considering both my parents were skilled investigators.

My mom eyed me suspiciously before giving up. I knew that she knew I was lying, but I wasn't gonna give in that easily.

"Alright then." She handed me a list. "I'm guessing you're going to the library today?"

I nodded. "Timmy and I were going to study for our Biology exam." I took the list and read it. I could tell despair was written all over my face from the smirk that my mom gave me. "Shopping?"

"Just for food, Abby." She smiled at me. "It's not much. You can ask Tim to help you."

I groaned. "Do I have to?"

Mom kissed my forehead. "I trust you, Abby."

I sighed. There was no getting out of this.

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><p>I walked out of the supermarket with Tim, both of us carrying bags of groceries in our arms.<p>

It was about 8pm, so it was getting quite dark, and we realized it was too dark to walk through the alleys and take the shortcut back home. Tim knew I'd get petrified.

That meant that we had to take the long way home – all the way down the main roads which took us right past the clubs full of druggies, drunk twits and smoking prats. In other words, I thought the area was absolutely revolting. However, that was the only route with streetlamps, and I wasn't carrying my torch with me.

I sighed as I carried four grocery bags down the street. "I can't believe my mom made me do this."

Tim snorted. "I can't believe she suggested bringing me along."

"You weren't gonna make me carry all the shopping myself, were you?"

Tim shrugged. "I just prefer to be given a choice rather than forced to do something, that way I know whether it's for or against my will." He smiled at me. "I know you would want that, so it's only fair if I do too."

I pouted. He knew me too well.

We continued to walk down the street, lights of all colors flashing around us – all of them neon and luminous. I sighed.

"Where's a gas mask when you need it?" I groaned.

Tim chuckled. "You really hate the smell that much here, eh?"

I nodded and continued to walk on, trying to hold my breath as much as possible and avoid the stench of cigarettes and alcohol. Each time I walked past the entrance to a club, my curiosity always got the better of me, and most of the time I ended up regretting what I saw.

It was when we got to the tenth, probably eleventh, club when I saw something shocking. I had to do a double take. Tim had realized that I'd stopped and came to see what I was staring at.

"Uh, Abby?" I knew he would have waved a hand in front of my face, but his hands were full.

I just continued staring.

Finally, he had the brains to do exactly what I was doing, and gasped.

In the club, sitting on a table with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other, was the curly haired freak my sister called her boyfriend. Yes, I could recognize the curly hair and the firm jaw-line anywhere.

It was Ziva's boyfriend, Ray. And by the looks of it, he was badass. I mean, he smoked _and_ he drank, which put him top of my 'Disgusted' list.

"I can't believe she's dating that prick," I muttered.

"I can't believe she's in there…" Tim whispered.

That's when I noticed that Ray was snogging someone. She had dark curly hair and tanned skin…

"Oh my god!" I whispered. My sister was in there? With _him_? I would've puked then if it weren't for that fact that I was holding a load of groceries and my mom would be wondering why I took so long with the studying and the shopping. I started walking quickly away from the club entrance.

"Abby?" Tim asked trying to catch up with me.

"Let's go. I don't want to stay here," I muttered.

Tim nodded and followed me, both of us thinking over what we had just seen.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the long wait, readers! I've been studying, and concentrating more on my other stories.  
>Anyway, enjoy the chapter!<strong>

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><p>I sat in my room, thinking.<p>

Ziva was dating someone.

That someone was a smoker.

That someone was also a drinker.

That meant that he would be able to persuade Ziva into stupid stuff like smoking and getting drunk.

That meant…

My thoughts were stopped when I heard the front door open downstairs. I knew it was Ziva that had returned, and I also knew that our mom and dad were downstairs waiting.

Now, my dad isn't exactly the softest of people. He used to be a gunnery sergeant in the Marines, so he was one of those 'tough-love' guys. He had salt-and-pepper hair, due to the fact that he was graying, and ice-blue eyes that could literally make hell freeze over. He also worked for the government, which meant he had a license to carry a gun and wasn't afraid to use it.

I snuck out of my room and sat on the staircase.

"Abby?"

I turned to see Tim standing behind me.

"Shhh!" I shushed him.

He frowned before joining me on the stairs. He stared at me quizzically. "Abby, what are you…?"

"ZIVA TALI GIBBS!"

Tim and I winced at the booming of my dad's voice. Yup, she was in big trouble.

"Yes, papa?"

I shook my head. Whenever Ziva wanted to get on our dad's good side, she used '_papa_' to make him softer. It usually worked, so dad would always go soft on her and give her anything she wanted. I didn't need to do stuff like that to get on his good side. Puppy dog eyes and tears work best, I think.

"Don't give me that crap, Ziva. Where have you been?"

I snuck further down the stairs to get a better hearing.

"I've been out."

"Out where?"

"With friends."

I heard dad snort in disbelief. "Where were you really?"

"Out with friends."

"Ziva, don't lie to me."

"What? I can't go out with my friends anymore?"

"Not if you don't answer your phone, or tell us where you're going!"

"And especially not if you walk into the house late, smelling of cigarettes and looking as haggard as that!" Mom added.

I winced. Ziva was bound to be caught now.

"Mom, I wasn't smoking…"

"Then feel free to tell us why you stink like someone who does."

I heard Ziva pause.

"Well, since you don't have an excuse, you can expect to stay in your room for the next week, because you're grounded."

"_What?_"

"That means no phone, no laptop, and I expect you straight home from school."

Ouch. Dad was tough on his punishment.

I heard Ziva growl before heading straight for the stairs… where Tim and I were sitting. Tim and I tried to scramble to my room, until I heard what I was dreading.

"Abby! Tim!"

Tim and I froze, moving to the side briefly to let Ziva past. As soon as she had disappeared into her room, Tim and I snuck down the stairs. We walked silently into the living room, as if we were about to be told off. My mom smiled at Tim.

"Hello, Tim. It seems to be getting late – would you like me to drop you off?" she asked.

Tim got the message that my parents needed to speak privately with me, and nodded. He put his shoes on and followed my mom out of the front door.

As soon as my mom had left with Tim, my dad turned on me.

"What do you know?" he demanded.

"I don't know anything," I lied, keeping my gaze with my father's so that he wouldn't get the idea that I was lying.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Where did you see her, Abby?"

I sighed. There was no getting out of this. "I saw her outside the library with some of the girls from school – you know those annoying girls I'm always talking about? Yeah, those. The girls were smoking, but Ziva wasn't."

My dad narrowed his eyes even more at me. "Are you sure?"

"Yes sir." I nodded.

My dad sighed. "Well, I guess Ziva's punishment seemed a little hard, huh?"

I nodded slightly. "Maybe you shouldn't go as hard on her?"

Dad sighed. "Maybe." He reached out and hugged me, kissing my forehead. "It's getting late now, Abby. I'll talk to you later, 'kay?"

I nodded and bid him goodnight before going upstairs. I didn't go to my room when I headed upstairs, though. I headed straight to Ziva's. I walked in without knocking, shutting the door behind me. "Ziva?"

Ziva looked up at me from where she lay on her bed. "Yes, Abby?"

"You owe me. Big time."

She chuckled. "Why?"

I sat next to her on her bed. "I just got you out of doing two weeks' worth of dishes."

She smiled at me. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm not proud." I turned to glare at Ziva. "I saw where you were."

She sat up. "Really? Where was I?"

"You were at the club with your precious little Ray, smoking and drinking and snogging. Don't try to tell me that you weren't, because I saw you, and so did Tim." I had my arms folded.

Ziva sighed. "I wasn't smoking or drinking, Abby."

I scowled at her. "Sure you weren't." And with that, I got up and walked out, not even turning to say goodnight to my sister.

Suddenly, the final possibility of Ziva being with Ray hit me hard, and it frightened me.

That meant… he could get her pregnant.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hey readers! I know it's been a long time, and for that I'm truly sorry, but I've got another chapter for you! Enjoy it!**

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><p>I sat at the table, glaring at Ziva.<p>

For the past couple of days, Ziva and I hadn't spoken. And it was all because I thought she smoked and drank.

Which I did, but it didn't mean she had to throw a strop and ignore me for the whole day.

Mom and dad seemed to notice this, but they ignored it like it was an everyday occurrence that would just pass over.

Which it usually would be, but not this time. This time it was more serious. Here, I was worrying about Ziva's health whilst Ziva was just ignoring me. I'd even given up on believing she drank and smoked, but tried to convince her that hanging around with them could cause her to die from lung cancer.

"Abby," she had said, "there is no way I will die from lung cancer when I have not smoked."

I sighed. She'd walked off before I'd told her that from inhaling the fumes she could get it. I'd shrugged. She probably wouldn't have gotten it anyway.

I peeked over the top of my book at Ziva, who was doing her homework contentedly. I frowned, until I noticed she was actually texting someone.

I shook my head. "Seriously, Ziva?"

She looked up at me, quickly putting her phone away. "What?"

"I know dad gave your cell phone back, but you're texting him in a library."

She blushed. "So?"

I sighed. "Never mind. Just carry on with what you're doing." I looked up at her. "Just don't come crying to me when you get bad grades and mom and dad are on your case."

Ziva sighed. "Fine. I will study for the English exam. Happy?"

I smirked. "This isn't for me, Ziva."

"I know, I know."

We sat there, silent for a few minutes, before Ziva spoke up.

"I never got to thank you for the other day."

I looked up sharply at her. She was smiling at me slightly.

"Why? What did I do?" I asked.

She closed her book and put her phone away. "I heard you lie to dad for me, and for that I am very, very grateful. I would not have wanted to be stuck in the house all day doing chores."

I smiled. "No problem. It's what sisters do for each other, right?" I held out my fist.

Ziva smirked and bumped her fist with mine. "Yeah. Yeah, it is." She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Just…"

I frowned. "Just what?"

"Just… promise not to tell mom and dad about this."

"About what?"

Ziva raised an eyebrow at me as if to say 'Seriously?', and I quickly caught on.

"Oh, about you and Ray? Sure, no problem." I pulled my fist away from hers and got back to reading my book. "It's what sisters do, right?"

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><p>"You did what?" Tim was staring at me in shock.<p>

Tony and Ziva both shushed him. We were in a library after all.

Not long after I had made my promise to Ziva, Tony and Tim had come in to revise for their exams as well – Tim for his English and Tony for his Math – so they had decided to sit with us. Tony didn't know anything about what had happened during the past few days, so I had updated him with permission from Ziva.

The problem was, Tim didn't even know about the promise I'd made to Ziva, considering I'd done it just a couple of minutes or so ago.

"Tim, it's a sister thing. You wouldn't understand," I told him.

"Abby, this is a major secret to keep from your parents!" he whispered loudly. "You could get grounded!"

"And that's why both of you have to keep it hush-hush," Ziva pointed out. "It is very important to both of us."

Tim shook his head. "I don't think I can. It's such a huge secret…"

Tony sighed. "Come on, Tim. You aren't wimping out, are ya?"

Tim frowned. "I'm not!" he protested. "It's just…"

"Then keep the secret," Tony interrupted before he could make up an excuse.

I looked him in the eyes. "It won't hurt anyone. Please, Timmy?"

I knew he would melt as soon as I used that nickname for him – he's been crushing on me since the third grade, and I was definitely going to use that to my advantage (yes, it's a little mean, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do).

He sighed. "Fine then."

We all cheered silently at the table.

"But if anything goes wrong with this, we tell an adult."

I nodded. "I know, you know, we all know what to do in times of dire trouble, Tim."

Tim smiled. "Good." He opened his book. "Let's get studying, then!"

Tony snorted. "Geeky nerd."

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	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the long wait, guys! To be honest, I've been spending more time on my other stories, and it was only recently that I noticed how little attention I was paying to this one! I'm really, really sorry!  
>Anyway, enjoy the chapter!<strong>

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><p>I sat on my bed, reading one of my vampire-themed books.<p>

It was about a week after the confrontation at the library, and Ziva and I were getting on reasonably well. We were able to talk without glaring at each other, and our mom and dad could leave us in the same room again without having the feeling that someone would end up dying. Life was getting better.

I sighed when my cell phone started vibrating beside me on my bed, and suddenly some rock music blared from it. I picked it up.

"Hello?" I asked.

"_Hey, Abby._" It was Ziva.

"Yes, Ziva?"

"_How about you meet me down at the library and we go and hang out?_"

I frowned. "Why the sudden niceness?"

"_Well…_"

An answer clicked in my head. "You want me to hang with you and Ray, don't you?"

"_Only so that mom and dad don't get suspicious._"

I sighed. "Again?" I shook my head. "No."

"_Oh, come on Abby! Please?_"

"No. You know what I think of Ray, Ziva."

"_But Abby…_"

"I'm not coming."

I heard Ziva sigh on the other line. I knew this was frustrating her, but she really didn't want to let it out on me. "_Fine. See you later, Abby._"

"See ya." I ended the call and put the phone down beside me. This was really annoying me. Ziva wanted me to get used to her having Ray as a boyfriend, so she kept inviting me out with them, usually to the bar or to a club, which I usually found revolting so I turned it down. Not only that, but she wanted to use me as an excuse for staying out late, since dad has a soft spot for me and only lets Ziva stay out when I'm with her.

I took one look at my book before sighing and throwing it aside. I really didn't feel like reading this.

I got up and walked over to my bookshelf, seeing if I could find any other books to read. _Twilight…_ not really into it anymore… _Vampire Diaries…_ all of a sudden, not in the mood for vampires… _Percy Jackson and the Olympians…_ maybe I'll read some mythology?

I pulled out the first in the Percy Jackson series. Maybe I would read some Percy Jackson…?

"Abigail!"

Or not.

I threw the book down onto my bed before leaving my room and hopping down the stairs, only to find my mom and dad standing right at the bottom of them, arms crossed as if they were disappointed with me…

That's when I noticed Ziva's phone in mom's hand.

Oh no… she used Ray's phone to call me… which means…

She left her phone behind.

Mom held up the phone. "Abby, what is this?"

I peered closely at the phone. It was a text from Ray…

"Is there something you're not telling us, Abigail?" dad asked.

I winced. I was in big trouble…

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><p>I sat on my bed, guilt washing over me in waves.<p>

I couldn't believe it. I'd broken my promise to Ziva, and just because dad glared at me.

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><p>"<em>Where is Ziva?" he asked.<em>

"_I… I don't know," I stammered uncertainly._

"_Tell me the truth, Abigail," dad said sternly._

"_I really don't know!" I argued._

_Mom sighed. "Fine. If you don't know where she is, maybe you could tell us something."_

"_Who is this 'Ray' guy?" dad demanded._

_I bit my lip. I felt like I was in an interrogation._

"_Abby, we won't tell her that you told us," mom said comfortingly. "Just tell us who this guy is."_

_I took a deep breath. Should I tell them, and risk Ziva finding out? Or should I lie and risk them finding out and grounding me. I made my mind up quickly._

"_His name's Ray, he's Ziva's boyfriend. They've been dating for a couple of weeks," I sighed._

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><p>I was dead. So very dead.<p>

Because I told them.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chappie, readers! Sorry it took so long. I ****had writer's block on this story, so I concentrated more on my other stories until I could think of ideas for this one. Not really an excuse, I know, but school just started as well...  
>Anyways... enjoy!<strong>

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><p><em>Ziva stormed into my room. "You told them?"<em>

_I looked up at her from my bed. "Huh?"_

_Ziva closed in on me. "Don't play dumb with me, Abby. I know you told them about Ray."_

_I frowned. "How do you know?"_

"_Because we've got security footage, Abby." She unsheathed a knife. "I trusted you, Abby, and now you have betrayed my trust!"_

_I sat up quickly and scooted as far away from her as I could. "W-w-w-what are you doing?"_

"_I am getting revenge on the one who betrayed my trust, Abby," she snarled as she brought the knife down in a quick motion._

_I watched in horror as the knife came towards me, touching my flesh and ripping through it…_

"Abby! Abby!"

I sat up quickly, hitting my forehead against something hard. "Ow!"

"That hurt me too, you know!"

I opened my eyes to see Ziva sitting in front of me in her pajamas, her hair tied back in her usual ponytail, with her hand on her forehead. I frowned. "Ziva? What're you doing?"

"I heard you having a nightmare from my room," she explained. "Are you alright?"

I nodded.

"You look pale," she pointed out. "Are you sure you do not want anything? Like a glass of milk…"

"No, I'm fine," I said. "Just… leave me to sleep."

Ziva frowned at me. "Are you…"

"Just leave!" I said a little too loudly. At the sight of Ziva's shocked face, I added, "Please."

She nodded slowly before getting up and moving to leave my room. She turned to look at me one final time before exiting the room.

I took a deep breath. That was close. I looked over at my bedside clock.

_5 am._

Just my luck to have a nightmare just an hour before I would actually wake up anyway. I swung my feet off the bed and got up to get ready for the day. As I headed for my closet to decide on what to wear for the day, I passed my mirror and happened to catch a glance at myself.

I looked even paler than usual, surprising at I was a pale one out of my sister and I, and my black nightgown didn't really help with making my complexion look better. My nightgown had red and silver skulls littered all over it, a design that my parents had gotten specifically made for me, and my feet had a pair of white fluffy socks on them, the one thing I owned that didn't really go with my style – they were really warm in the winter though. My pigtails were all messed up so they looked curlier than they actually were, but that wasn't what made me look terrible.

My cheeks were stained with tears and my eyes were bloodshot, as if I had been crying.

Which I must've been doing in my sleep.

I sighed as I used my sleeve to wipe my cheeks and get rid of the tear tracks that led down my face. They made me look haggard.

Just as I was about to turn and grab my towels and stuff from my dresser when I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I called out.

My bedroom door opened, and my mom stepped inside in her pink bathrobe with matching pink bunny slippers. She smiled at me warmly. "Good morning."

I smiled back at her. "Morning, mom."

"Are you having breakfast at home this morning?"

I nodded.

"What would you like?"

I shrugged. "Maybe just some toast. I'm not that hungry."

My mom frowned at me. "Abby? Are you ok?"

I nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

My mom shut the door behind her and sat down on my bed. She patted the space beside her. "Have a seat, Abby."

I sighed. Whenever she did that, I knew she wanted us to have a _long_ talk. Either way, I had to join her on the bed, so I took my seat beside her and waited for her to start talking.

My mom looked at me. "Abby, you had a nightmare, didn't you?"

I looked up at her. "Yeah, I did."

"Aww." She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and kissed my head, a bit like dad would to calm me down. "What was it about?"

I took a deep breath. "I don't really want to talk about it."

My mom froze. "Was it about…?"

I snuggled closer to her. "In my dream, she found out, mom."

"Aww, honey." She kissed my head again. "She hasn't found out yet."

"Mom, you're getting sappy."

Mom chuckled. "I guess I am."

"Maybe it has something to do with getting old."

"Hey!"

I smirked. "Imagine what all those agents will say when they find out the famous Leroy Jethro Gibbs' wife has gone soft…"

"They won't find out."

Both mom and I looked up sharply to see dad standing at the door.

He smirked. "I'm waiting for my coffee, Jen."

Mom rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not your servant, Jethro. Get your lazy ass into the kitchen and make your own damn coffee."

I smiled. "I guess you're not going soft, then."

Mom and dad laughed.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, readers! Sorry for the long wait! I have to study a lot more, so the maximum amount of updates will be about once a month. I had been hoping to finish this story for you guys earlier, but I just don't have the time. I'm sorry.  
>Anyway, enjoy the chapter!<strong>

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><p>I smiled as I opened the fridge, only for my smile to fall when there was noting edible in the fridge. And by edible, I mean there were no Caf-Pows, donuts or cupcakes to eat. I sighed. There was never anything in the fridge when I was hungry, and when I wasn't hungry, there was always something edible in the fridge.<p>

I sighed and settled for a small carton of orange juice before shutting the fridge door. I took out the straw and stabbed it through the little foil circle bit – you know, the part that says _insert straw here_? Yeah, that bit – before putting the straw to my mouth and taking a sip. The orange juice was quite nice, but I was still wondering what dad did to my Caf-Pows…

I heard someone walk into the room behind me, and I turned around to see Ziva standing at the kitchen doorway. She was dressed in a pink t-shirt with dark blue jeans, and she had a white cardigan over the pink t-shirt. She was wearing a pair of pink flats and her hair was tied back with a white scrunchie, and she was holding a pink handbag that matched her outfit. But the thing that shocked me most was the fact that she was actually wearing lip gloss…

"Hey, sis," I greeted.

She smiled at me a little. "Hey, Abby." She walked over to one of the kitchen counters and put her bag on it. "How are you?"

I smiled at her. "I'm fine." I observed her outfit. "You've been out recently?"

She nodded. "Ray took me to this little café not far from the library." She looked down at when she was wearing. "He really liked my outfit, you know."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yes. But to be honest, he likes every single outfit I wear, so it does not really count as a compliment." She moved to stand next to me, and by this time I had moved to lean against the nearest counter to the fridge. "But do you know what I found the most interesting?"

I shook my head as I took a sip of my juice through the straw. "No. What?"

She looked at her nails casually, which I just realized had been manicured. "I met some NCIS Agents down at the café. To be more specific, Special Agents Leroy Jethro and Jennifer Gibbs." She was staring right at me now.

I froze half-way through my sip. _Uh oh…_ "That's cool…"

"And do you know what they said first?"

I shook my head, but I knew where this was going. It was highly likely I would be dead by the end of the day.

"They said, 'Oh, this is the amazing Ray we've heard so much about.'"

I quickly memorized where dad's spare gun was kept. I was sure it wasn't a crime if you shot your parents for revealing a deep dark secret. "Really?"

Ziva grabbed my juice carton and threw it at the opposite wall.

I frowned. "Hey, I was drinking that!"

"You told them, Abby!" she yelled at my face. "You told them something that you promised never to tell anyone else!"

"I didn't pinky swear on it," I pointed out.

"But you promised Abby! Like a sister would!"

I turned on her. "How would you feel if your sister left behind all the clues for her parents to find, considering they're federal agents, on her cell phone, which was conveniently left on her bed for anyone to look at, huh?" I stood up a little straighter, using the fact that I was just that little bit taller than her to my advantage. "How would you feel if you were stuck under dad's scrutinizing glare, as if you were a criminal being investigated?" I glared at her. "You didn't think about that when you left your cell phone, did you?"

"You could have lied to him," she pointed out.

"Are you stupid? Seriously Ziva?" I was screaming by now. "Dad uncovers lies for a living, Ziva! He interrogated criminals and glares at them to make them crack!"

Ziva looked hurt. "Abby—"

"No, Ziva. If you're blaming me for something that is clearly your fault, then you must be absolutely stupid right now. You could have introduced him to mom and dad. You could have discussed boyfriends with them. You could have even just talked to mom. But no – you made me swear not to tell mom and dad and leave the clues for them so that they can corner me the day you go out with said boyfriend. And you lied to them, Ziva. Straight to their faces." I gave her one last glare before storming out of the room.

"Abby!" I heard Ziva call out behind me, but I just ignored her and stormed up the stairs. I didn't feel like talking to her right then. I felt like talking to someone closer to me, like a best friend.

As soon as I entered my room, I locked my door behind me and grabbed my cell phone off my desk. I needed to talk to him. I dialed 4 on speed dial, because he was one of the closest people to me, and in emergencies I tended to forget people's numbers.

A few seconds later, the phone picked up. "_This is Timothy. Hello?_"

I would have grinned at the secretary-like way he answered the phone, but I was too upset to even give a small smile. "Timmy?"

"_Abby?_" I could literally hear him frowning on the other side. "_What's wrong?_"

I sobbed. "You were right."

I heard Ziva pounding on the other side of my door. "Abby! Please, let me in!"

"_Right about what?_" Tim asked.

I sobbed a few more times. "The secret. Mom and dad found out, and she's mad."

Tim paused on the other line. "_Alright, just hold on. You're at your place, right?_"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Yeah."

"_I'll be there a.s.a.p., Abby. Just wait, ok?_"

"Okay." I ended the call and crawled onto my bed, huddling into a ball.

All I wanted to be with right then was Tim. Not mom, not dad, not Ziva.

Just Tim.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Here's the long awaited next chapter, readers! I hope you enjoy it!**

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><p>I woke up to the sound of pounding on my window. I hadn't even noticed I'd fallen asleep, but my pillow was slightly damp, and I could feel the tear tracks on my cheeks.<p>

I had cried myself to sleep.

I turned to the window, where somebody was standing, or squatting, on my windowsill. I smiled. It was Tim. I got off my bed and walked over to the window to open it, and then smiled as he climbed in.

As soon as he landed both feet on the floor, I hugged him tightly. He seemed to freeze a little before hugging me back.

"What happened?" he asked me.

I tear escaped from my eye. "She found out, Timmy," I sniffed. "And now she hates me."

Tim frowned. "Who found out what?"

I punched him lightly on the arm. "So that phone conversation was for nothing?"

Tim seemed to realize what I was talking about. "Oh…"

I nodded and pulled away from him, sitting on my bed. Tim sat next to me and put an arm over my shoulders to comfort me. I leaned into his touch.

"Go on, say it," I whispered.

Even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell Tim was frowning. "No."

I looked up at Tim. "Please just say it. Go on – 'I told you so'."

Tim sighed. "Why should I?"

I sobbed. "I don't know!" I fell back into his arms and started to cry again.

He rubbed my back soothingly. "Please, Abby, stop crying." He rocked me slowly back and forth to calm me down.

I sat back from him when I stopped crying, and I wiped my nose with my sleeve. That's when I realized his shirt was wet. I laughed nervously. "Sorry, I think I got some snot on you shirt."

Tim looked down at his shirt and started to laugh. "Oh, don't worry. It's an old one – I can put it in the laundry when I get home." He smiled at me. "Are you okay, though?"

I wiped my cheeks with my other sleeve to get rid of the tear tracks. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine." I looked over at the door. Ziva had stopped pounding ages ago, but I didn't really want to talk to her. Not now, and I'm not even sure if I wanted to later.

Tim seemed to notice the look on my face as I was thinking. "Are you sure? Because you can come over to mine if you want…" he suggested.

I looked over at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "Tony won't mind, and neither should Kate." He smiled. "And of course, my parents love you." He leaned in closer to me. "My mom's been asking when I finally ask you out," he stage-whispered.

That made me smile. I could actually imagine Tim's mom saying something like that to him. "Well, when are you?"

Tim blushed – he literally went bright red. "Uh…" He cleared his throat. "So, do you want to come over? I mean… would you like to?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

Tim smiled at me and got off my bed, heading over to my bedroom window – the same way he came in.

I frowned. "Why don't we just use the door?"

"Your parents don't know I'm here, right?" he reasoned.

I huffed. "Fine." I grabbed my phone, my trainers, and my coat and quickly put them on before stuffing my phone into my pocket. I looked at myself briefly in the mirror – regretting it as soon as I realized how horrible I looked – before following Tim over to the window. He opened it and climbed out slowly, hanging onto the ledge for a couple of seconds before dropping to the ground. I frowned.

"There's no way I'm doing this, Tim," I called out.

"Come on, Abby!" he called out.

"No!"

"I'll catch you!"

I paused. "Promise?"

He nodded. "Yeah! Now come on!"

I took a deep breath before climbing out of the window slowly, making sure my feet rested on the drainpipe below the window so that I didn't fall. Eventually, I managed to get into the position where I was hanging off the window ledge with just my hands holding on. I looked down behind me, where McGee was standing with his arms out. I smiled. He was actually going to catch me. I took a deep breath and let go, trying very hard not to squeal or scream. I let out a little squeak when I finally stopped falling, and I opened my eyes to realize I was in Tim's arms. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"I told you I would catch you," he pointed out as he let me down.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Well, thanks." I checked to make sure my phone was in my pocket. "Should we get going?"

Tim nodded. "Yeah. Let's go." He headed away from the house towards a forest that stood near the backyard.

I turned and took a glance at the house. The window was open, but apart from that it looked pretty normal. And the whole time, I felt as if leaving the house would lead to something going terribly wrong – I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach. I shook my head and ignored it. I needed to get out of the house – I couldn't stay with Ziva. Not at that moment.

So I took a deep breath and ran after Tim into the forest.

Little did I know that it would start a chain reaction that would change our lives.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, readers! It's been a while, I know, but I've got the next chapter for you****! And There are a few more chapters before the end of the story - I'm not exactly sure yet, but I know I might be close...  
>Anyway, enjoy!<strong>

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><p>I smiled as the glass of orange squash was placed in front of me. "Seriously, I don't want it…"<p>

Kate just rolled her eyes at me. "Drink it, Abby."

I shook my head. "I don't want any squash…"

"Drink it."

I picked up the squash and sipped from it. It was nice. I smiled at Kate. "Thanks, Kate."

Kate smiled back at me. "No problem, Abby. You know how we all love you coming round."

I nodded, even though it hadn't even been my idea to come round. My thoughts drifted back to my family at home. They were probably worried sick about me – thinking I was sulking in my bedroom when I'm actually at Tim's place. I sighed and put my drink down, placing my chin on my hand.

Kate seemed to notice I was down. "Aw, Abs, what's up?"

I shook my head. "It's nothing, Kate."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "It's definitely not 'nothing', Abby."

I shook my head at her. "I don't want to talk about it."

She sighed. "Alright." She headed over to the sink to start doing the washing up.

"Tony! Put that back! It's mine!"

"Ha! No way!"

"Tony!"

"No!"

I smirked as I listened to the brothers bicker pointlessly as they walked into the kitchen. Tony was holding one of Tim's computer gadgets, and seemed to be running around the kitchen with it, teasing Tim. Tim was glaring at him as he chased his older brother, trying to get the gadget back but to no avail.

"Tony! Give it back!"

Tony smirked and stopped so that they were on opposite sides of the kitchen table. "Or what, Timmy?"

Tim glared at Tony. "Or I'm telling grandpa everything."

Tony faltered. "Everything?"

Tim smirked. "Every little thing."

Tony sighed and handed Tim back the computer gadget. "Dude, you've got me there."

Tim smiled and took back the gadget. "I know. Why do you think I used it?"

Tony shrugged before turning to me. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

I smiled at him. Tony was like a brother to me, a lot like Kate was like a sister to me. They loved having me over, mainly because whenever I was over it made Tim happy, as well as their parents who were constantly arguing. Their grandpa Ducky was the only one that kept them living under the same roof.

"I'm feeling a lot better," I answered honestly.

Tony smiled at me. "That's good."

I sighed and looked out the window. It was getting quite dark already – there were dark storm clouds hanging overhead, and they didn't look comforting. I didn't want to have to walk home in the rain, and if I asked for a lift my parents would realize I got out of the house through the window _again_.

Kate followed where my eyes were going. "Looks like a big one today."

Tony and Tim looked out the window as well. Tony winced. "Woah, that's huge."

Tim nodded. He turned to me. "If you want, you can stay for dinner and we can give you a lift home?"

I shook my head. "My parents…"

Tim seemed to realize what she was saying. "Oh." He sighed. "Well, how about we go and get a pizza on the way home."

"If it doesn't start raining by then," I pointed out.

Tim shrugged and smiled. "I have umbrellas and coats."

I shook my head. "I… I can't make you do that, Tim. I can't get you in trouble with my parents. They already trust you enough – I don't want them to lose that trust."

Tim sighed and nodded. "Alright, then." He kissed my cheek. "So you'll be going?"

I nodded. "I have to."

His face was crestfallen. I could tell he really wanted me to stay, but my parents…

Kate handed me a coat. "Here – take my coat. It should keep you warm."

I frowned. "But…"

I felt Tony slap something onto my head, and I turned to face him.

"You can have my hat too," he told me as he smiled at me. "It keeps me warm – I hope it does the same for you."

I smiled at them. "Thanks, guys." I got up from the kitchen stool. "I really appreciate this."

Tim pulled me into a hug. "Stay safe, Abby."

I hugged him back. "Of course, Tim." As we let go, I gave him a small peck on the cheek. It was the least I could do – he had let me stay over for a little while.

He blushed.

I smiled. "Well, I better get going." I picked up my phone and headed for the front door. "See you guys."

"Bye!" they all called out from behind me.

I opened the door and stepped out into the already dark evening.

Little did I know, that would be the last peaceful night I would have for months to come.

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	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, readers! Here's your next chapter!**

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><p>I shivered and pulled the coat tighter around me, keeping my head down to prevent too much rain from getting into my face.<p>

It was absolutely pouring now, and it had only started raining a little while ago. My feet sloshed through puddles as I attempted to make my way home.

As it was already quite dark, I decided to head down the main road rather than through the even darker alleyways. Following the main street, I headed home in the rain. I knew my parents were going to kill me, but I just wanted to get home. I didn't like walking out in the rain like this.

As I was passing one of the bars, I noticed a group huddled in the corner. I glared when I realized Ray was one of them, drunk and slurring, like an idiot. We made eye contact briefly before I walked off.

That was my first mistake.

The second was not noticing when there were footsteps following me until I was too far away from any bars or police stations to report a stalker. I turned my head slightly to see who was behind me, and all I saw was a dark silhouette. I frowned and turned into the nearest alleyway, hoping that I could lose him.

And that was my third mistake.

I followed the path of the alleyway, leading myself further and further away from the safety of the main street as I followed all its twists and turns until I pulled out into a street. This street was smaller than the main street, but it was still large.

I ran out of the alleyway and headed into the next nearest one. The footsteps quickened behind me, also breaking into a run.

This alleyway was situated between two different apartment blocks, which means it had trash cans down it and fire exits along the walls. I had been certain that this alleyway would lead me to freedom – away from my pursuer – but I was wrong. I gasped when I found that it led to a dead end – the back of another block of apartments.

I span quickly when I heard footsteps at the end of the alleyway. I couldn't make out who the person was – their figure was still a dark silhouette against the street lights.

It wasn't until I heard their voice that I realised who it was.

"Hello, my precious."

I froze. "R-R-R-Ray?"

He smirked evilly. "Abigail, Abigail, Abigail… such a sweet name, don't you think?"

I backed away slowly. "Leave me alone!"

Ray smirked. "Now, why would I do that?" He took a couple of steps closer. "You're a gem I don't want to let go…"

"No I'm not!" I argued, taking further steps away from him. "Ziva's your gem! I'm just her sister!"

Ray grinned, an evil, sinister grin. "A sister just as beautiful as her." He stepped closer to me. "Isn't that what you want? To be just like her? To have someone like me?"

I glared at him with all of the strength I could muster through my fear. "What do you want?"

"Can't you see?" He came closer to me and held out his hand. "I want you," he whispered loudly.

I shook my head. "No… no, no, no… NO!" I screamed and tried to run past him and out of the alleyway, away from the danger.

He just reached out his arms and wrapped them around me, stopping me from escaping.

I screamed and kicked, catching him on the legs and causing him to let go of me, screaming in pain. I dropped to the ground and crawled as fast as I could away from him. I didn't care which direction I was headed in – I just needed to get away from him.

I was just about to get away from his reach when I felt a hand on my ankle. I felt myself being dragged back and screamed, scratching at the ground. I didn't want to go to him. I couldn't…

My hand ran over something smooth, and I instinctively grabbed it. I was sure it would help me to defend myself.

I heard Ray chuckling darkly behind me. "Oh Abigail…"

I squirmed and tried to get away. "No! No! Let me go!"

"No, Abigail. I can't." He lifted me into his arms. "And do you know why?"

I squirmed in his arms. "No. Why?" My fourth mistake – and a stupid one, at that.

He held my head still so that he could whisper into my ear. "Because I _want_ you, Abigail. Your sister, she's a tough one to crack. She refuses constantly – claims that she wants to stay pure for longer—" He holds my head tighter when I try to squirm free. "—but I want her now. So, instead of her, I'll take her sister." He kissed my cheek. "She won't even find out."

I nearly gagged. "Yes she will. She's Ziva Gibbs – daughter of two of the best NCIS agents." I broke out of his grasp. "I'm not yours to take."

He grabbed me again, but this time I wouldn't go back. I swung around quickly, bringing up the object in my hand and swinging it at him. I didn't realize how sharp the object was until it had plunged into his stomach. I gasped and stepped back as I did so.

"Oh no…"

He screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground, blood spilling out of the sides of the wound. I looked around frantically for help.

"Help! Help!" I cried out. I put my hands on the wound and tried to stem the bleeding. He couldn't die… not now…

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	12. Chapter 12

**I love all of my reviews from my previous chapter! They were so encouraging, and made me laugh! And It encouraged me to write more quickly even though it's been about a month and I've been revising like heck! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!  
><strong>

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><p>I sat on the sidewalk, my bloody arms wrapped around my legs, shivering. There were flashing lights and sirens blaring all around me – police sirens, ambulance sirens…<p>

"Abigail Gibbs?"

I looked up at the police officer who had spoken to me. She was young and blonde, and she smiled at me. I attempted to smile back. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Your parents are on their way." She sat down next to me. "Are you alright?"

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "I…"

"RAY!"

The officer and I looked up to see someone running down the sidewalk towards the ambulance. She had dark hair, and tanned skin, and was wearing a pair of familiar skinny jeans with black converse and a white t-shirt with a hoodie. My eyes widened when I recognized her.

It was Ziva.

She ran over to the ambulance. "What happened? What happened to my Ray?"

"He was stabbed, ma'am," one of the paramedics said as they loaded him into the ambulance. "One of the neighbours called us and told us about a girl calling out for help because a man was stabbed."

She frowned. "What girl?"

The paramedic pointed over in my direction, and Ziva looked over. Her eyes widened in shock. "A-A-A-Abby?"

Tears started pouring down my cheeks. "Z-Ziva…"

"What happened?" she demanded.

"I… I…" I couldn't get the words out of my mouth.

Ziva noticed the blood on my hands, and made the assumption that I dreaded the most.

"Did you… did you kill him?" she whispered.

I flinched away. "Ziva… I…"

Her eyes hardened. "That's what I thought." She turned and walked back to the ambulance.

"Ziva!" I called out behind her. I wanted to explain that it wasn't my fault. That he wanted to rape me. That he wanted her for her body and not her personality. That he… he wasn't the man she thought he was. But it was too late. She was gone. Tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Abigail?"

I turned to the officer sitting beside me. "Officer, I want to go home."

She smiled sadly at me. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait for—"

"ABBY!"

I turned to see my parents running towards me. I stood up quickly and ran towards them. "Mum! Dad!"

They pulled me into a hug. "Oh, Abby…"

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt dad's shirt get wet and felt myself hiccupping. My dad pulled me out of our hug and held me at arm's length.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

I started babbling nonsense about how I ended up at Tim's house after Ziva and I had an argument, and then turned down his offers to walk me home because I was afraid he'd get in trouble, before walking past the bar and seeing her boyfriend Ray in there, who tried to follow and stalk me, and because I tried to lose him he had ended up cornering me in the alleyway, which forced me to find something that would help me to defend myself, and that I didn't know how sharp it was until I used it, and then I called for help and one of the neighbours called an ambulance and the police…

My mom blocked her ears out as soon as she heard that Ray had been following me, but tuned back in when I said I'd called the police. "What did they say? What did you tell them?"

"I… I…" I rubbed my arm nervously. "I told them how he… he tried to rape me…"

"What?" Dad was furious. "He tried to _rape_ you?"

I stepped away from him. "Please, daddy, you're scaring me."

He sighed before pulling me into another hug and kissing my hair. "Don't worry, honey. It'll be alright."

We suddenly heard a curse coming from the ambulance. "We're losing him!"

"There's too much blood!"

"Do you think we could stem it and try to get to the hospital?"

"We might not make it in time!"

"Right, load it up, then! Put pressure on the wound!"

"He's fading fast!"

I started shaking. Ray was dying. He was _dying_. And it was all my fault. Dad started rubbing my back soothingly.

"Shhh, Abby," he hushed me.

"He's dying, daddy," I whispered.

"Shhh."

I sobbed into his jacket as he guided mom and I to the car, where we got in. He started the engine, and we followed the ambulance to the hospital.

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	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, readers! Here's your next chapter!**

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><p>I sat in one of the plastic hospital chairs, waiting for the doctor to come out. It was an agonizing wait. It was too much to bear.<p>

The doctors and police officers had found it strange that I wanted to make sure he was okay after he had come after me and all, but I wasn't the type of person to hold a grudge for a while. Ziva, however, was known around the school for stuff like that, so it made us polar opposites half the time.

Which was why I was really hoping that Ray would live. Because I didn't think I would be able to live with my sister holding a grudge against me for the rest of my life.

Ziva was sitting a couple of seats away from me, glaring at me the whole time. I constantly shifted under her stare. Well, who wouldn't? She inherited our dad's intense glare, even though they had completely different eye colours.

When the doctor came out, we both stood up, hoping for the best of news. The solemn look on the doctor's face told me that I should start running for my life. Because what came out of her mouth was much worse.

"I'm sorry."

Ziva immediately burst into tears, and mom went over to hug her and calm her down.

My face drained of all blood and colour. I wasn't sad because Ray had died – I didn't really like him anyway – but I was scared. Because Ziva would get her revenge. She always got her revenge. Like that time that senior thought it was a good idea to pick on me because I was small and didn't like hurting people. Ziva took care of her really well, and she had to leave the school after being in the hospital for three months.

Dad wrapped his arms around me. "Abby…"

"He's dead," I whispered.

Dad nodded.

"And he's never coming back."

He nodded again.

"And I killed him."

Dad shook his head. "No, you didn't. He came after you."

"But that doesn't change the fact that I killed him." I turned and looked up at him. "Right?"

"He wanted to rape you. You defended yourself."

"But I stabbed him in the stomach!" My voice rose to a shout. "I should have turned him into the police when I had the chance! I shouldn't have waited until there was no one there!" I sunk to the floor. "I… I should've saved him!"

Dad bent down to hug me, but I pushed him away. He frowned. "Abby…"

"Just leave me alone!" I screamed before running out of the hospital.

I didn't know where I was heading exactly, but I soon realized I'd headed straight to Tim's house. I frowned. _Why would I…_ Before I knew it, my fist was raised and knocking on the front door.

"Coming!" came the answer from behind the door, and a few seconds later the door was opened. An old man, probably in his sixties, stood at the door. He wore glasses, and had graying brown hair. He stared at me in shock. "Abigail?"

I sobbed. "G-g-grandpa Ducky… I… I…"

He pulled me into the house. "Come in. Have something to drink."

I nodded shakily.

"Timothy! Anthony! Caitlin!" he called out as he sat be down on the couch. "I think I'll need some help down here!"

There was a thump upstairs before three sets of footsteps came downstairs. "Yeah, grandpa?" The three siblings walked into the living room before freezing. They all had various looks of shock on their faces. Tim was the first to speak.

"A-A-Abby?" he asked.

I sniffed and looked up at him. "Yes?"

He came over to me. "What happened?"

"I'll get something to clean her up," Tony muttered before racing upstairs.

"I'll get her some spare clothes," Kate added before running up to her room.

"Timothy, I know you would like to stay here, but would you mind getting Abigail a drink?" Grandpa Ducky asked. "Preferably something warm? The poor lassie looks cold."

Tim nodded and reluctantly went to the kitchen to make me a warm drink. Grandpa Ducky sat beside me on the couch.

"Where did all this blood come from?" he asked as he looked me over for wounds. There were scratches on my arms from where I had been dragged across the ground, and bruises from where Ray had grabbed me.

I shook my head. "It… it's not mine…"

Grandpa Ducky frowned as the other three returned to the living room; Tim with the hot drink, Kate with the change of clothes and Tony with the wet cloth and bucket of water to clean me up. I smiled at them gratefully.

"Whose is it?" Grandpa Ducky asked.

I took a shaky breath. "It's Ray's."

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	14. Chapter 14

**Here's your next chapter, people! Just a couple more chapters left! I hope you like this one! Enjoy!**

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><p>"That no good bastard!" Tony exclaimed as he helped Grandpa Ducky wipe down the wounds on my arms. He'd already put an ice pack around the bruise on my ankle from where Ray had grabbed me.<p>

I nodded quietly. "I know," I whispered, my voice just audible enough, before taking a sip of the warm drink Tim had made for me. It was soothing – tea, actually – and calmed me down.

"I'm glad he's dead," Tim muttered. "He gave off a bad vibe."

Kate frowned. "I'm glad I never even knew this guy." She smiled at me reassuringly. "You did what you had to do, Abby."

I shook my head. "No, no, no, stop saying that!" I yelled. "I killed someone, and you're all saying it's a good thing?"

"No!" Tim denied. "We're trying to comfort you, Abby. Yes, it was bad to kill him, but we didn't like him in the first place."

I frowned. "You… you didn't?"

Tony snorted. "Oh please. He was able to make Ziva wear _skirts_."

"Just because you couldn't do that," Tim muttered. He ducked quickly to avoid the swipe that Tony had aimed at his head. "I'm being truthful."

"What Ziva needs is a real guy _her age_," Kate suggested. "That way, he'll be more reliable, and it should be easier for her to keep an eye on him without getting drunk or smoking."

"Well, who do you suggest?" Tim asked. Neither of them ignored the sudden perk of Tony as he sat on the couch.

"Well, there's that guy, Roy Sanders?" Kate asked. "He's in your year, right?"

"Yeah, he's in Ziva's Phys. Ed. Class," Tim explained. "But isn't he the guy that's almost always off ill?"

"He had leukemia last year," Tony added. "He wasn't cured until last month, and he's been in the hospital since – he's still recovering."

Kate frowned. "Too much for her, then?"

Tony and Tim nodded. The group sighed and started to think. I raised an eyebrow at them. They were doing this because…

"How about Brent?" Tim asked. "You know, Brent Langer?"

"Forget it," Tony growled. "That boy is going nowhere near her – idiotic flirt."

Kate crossed her arms. "Who do you suggest, then?" she asked Tony.

Tony shrugged. "I dunno."

"Uh, how about James Landis?" I asked quietly.

"Shoplifter," Tony stated. "Ziva doesn't date shoplifters."

"But she dated a smoker," Tim pointed out. "And the guy was in college – don't you think that's a bit awkward for her?"

"But if what you told me is true, then Ziva loved him too much for it to seem awkward to her," Kate explained. "So she seemed perfectly happy."

"But that possibility is out of the window," Tony pointed out.

"How about Michael Rivkin?" Tim asked. "He used to be Ziva's best friend, and he used to hang out with us when Tony was with his jock buddies."

Tony glared at him. "No."

"Didn't Tony put him in hospital?" Kate asked. "That _is_ the same guy, right?"

I nodded. "He beat him up real bad. Not a good idea for them to be together, especially with Tony around us as much as he is now."

Kate's eyes lit up and she snapped her fingers. "That's it! I've got it!"

I turned to her. "Okay, who've you got in mind?"

"Tony!"

Tony jumped. "What?"

Kate smiled. "You're the person who should date Ziva. You're perfect for each other! I mean, you're both really into Phys. Ed., and you know each other really well, so there's nothing you really need to learn about each other on your first date. And she won't need to feel uncomfortable much around you because you're such good friends," Kate explained.

Tony shook his head. "No, we're too close."

"But you like her," I pointed out.

Tony blushed. "Well…"

There was a knock at the front door.

"You children just keep on with your interesting conversation," Grandpa Ducky said. "I'll just answer the door."

We all nodded and continued to decide who Ziva should go out with – Tony was our best choice, and there wasn't really much wrong about him to turn her off. Apart from the fact that they were close friends… but that didn't count.

After about two minutes, Grandpa Ducky reentered the room… with my parents and Ziva in tow. My mom and dad were looking at me solemnly, and Ziva just glared at me. I looked down immediately after noticing how murderous her eyes were.

"Abby," dad started. "Are you alright?"

I looked up at him. "I don't know." I gave a small sniff. "Are we going?"

Mom nodded. "Come on, Abby."

I nodded and stood up. Tim automatically stood beside me. I turned to him and frowned. "Tim, what are you…?"

"I'll walk you to the door," he said.

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Tim."

Dad nodded and led mom and Ziva towards the door. I hung back for a little while.

"I'll call you when I get the chance," I muttered to them. "If I live, that is."

"ABBY!"

"Coming!" I called back. I pecked Tim on the cheek. "See ya!" I headed for the door, my palms sweating. I didn't want to go home. I wanted to live. I wanted to see tomorrow, and it seemed as if going home with Ziva wasn't going to allow me to do that…

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	15. Chapter 15

**Here's your next chapter, people! The story is very very nearly done now! We're on the penultimate chappie! I hope you like this!**

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><p>I sat on my bed, hugging my knees to my chest. We'd gotten home about two minutes before, and the first thing I'd done was head straight up to my room and shut the door behind me, sitting on my bed and turning my music up loud. I was sure I heard my mom call me crazy, but I didn't care. I wanted to be alone. If she had a problem with that, that was her fault.<p>

As there was nothing else to do, I decided to text Kate and tell her I was alright. I grabbed my phone and sent her the quick text before going back to lying on my bed. It was a few minutes later when she decided to call me back, and I lowered the volume on my radio before answering. "Hello?"

"_Abby! You're alive!_"

I smirked. "I thought that I'd already texted that to you?"

"_Yeah, but that could've been anyone! I wanted to hear your voice!_"

I smiled. "That's nice."

"_And so did Tim. You're on speaker!_"

"What?"

Suddenly my door slammed open. I dropped my phone in shock and stared at who had just stormed into my room. "Ziva?"

She just glared at me. "You… you… you!"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, it's me."

"You _**bitch**_!"

I stared at her. "Who, me?"

She slammed the door behind her. "Yes, _you_!" She walked up to me slowly. "Why did you do it, Abby? Why?"

I glared at her. "What did you want me to do? He was going to _rape_ me!"

Ziva just glared back. "So that's what you had to do? You had to _kill_ him?"

My eyes widened. "Ziva…"

She slapped me hard in the face. "Shut up!"

I clutched my cheek. _Ziva had never…_ I got up and slapped her back. "Ungrateful bitch."

"Ungrateful? _Me_?" She snorted. "If Ray hadn't met me, he never would've met _you_."

"I had no interest in that no good bastard!" I screamed.

Ziva punched me. "Ray is not a bastard!"

I reeled backwards from the hit, stumbling to the floor. Ziva just continued to hit me until I'd pushed myself into the corner, sheltering myself from her shots. Then she reduced herself to shouting insults at me. I attempted to block my ears, but the screams always made it through…

_I sat in the corner of the room, bawling as my sister screamed and yelled curses at me, not caring who heard._

"_You killed him!" she screamed over and over. I hunched further into the corner to get away from her fury._

"_I…I didn't mean to…" I sobbed._

"_But you did! You killed him!"_

_I flinched and tried to crawl away, only to find that I was already in the corner and that I couldn't move any further. I looked up at Ziva with pleading eyes._

"_Please, Ziva. I'm sorry," I whispered._

"_I hate you! You are the worst sister ever!" She stormed out of my room, kicking the door open and slamming it shut. I could literally feel the vibrations of her footsteps before I heard the slam of her own door shut._

_I sat there and cried. What's the point of living if your twin hates you?_

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><p>I looked up at Kate. "And… I guess this is where the story ends…"<p>

Kate hugged me closer. "Hush, Abby. It's alright."

I shook my head. "No it's not! She's mad with me!"

Kate sighed. "Wait for a couple of days or so, and then talk to her. I want you to talk to her eventually."

"What?" I pouted. "But Kate…"

"I'm being serious, Abby."

I sighed. "Then I'll talk to her now. I… I think it's been long enough."

Kate nodded. "Go on then."

I nodded and stood up before heading out of my room to Ziva's room. I stopped in front of her door and took a deep breath. She could either hug me or kill me. I wasn't sure which one, but the latter sounded more plausible. I knocked on the door. "Ziva?"

"Go away, boyfriend killer!"

I sighed. "Can we just talk?"

"No!"

"Please, Ziva? I… I'm sorry!"

There was silence before Ziva opened the door. "Sorry?"

I nodded. "Please, can we talk about this? I… I want to explain what happened better."

Ziva glared at me before moving aside. "Come in."

I took a deep breath before walking into her room.

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	16. Chapter 16

**And here we are, people! Your final chapter! I hope you like it!**

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><p>And<em> that's where this story ends. I wasn't sure whether Ziva believed me when I talked to her, but we did talk. She forgave me a little after that, but I don't think she ever fully forgave me for killing Ray. Of course, we had to get along, for our parents' sake, because I didn't think our mom would be able to deal with our family literally splitting at the seams. It would have caused a huge conflict…<em>

_Fortunately, Ziva managed to move on. She found a handsome new boyfriend, which we all approved of, and they dated throughout the rest of high school. I got my own boyfriend too, although our relationship wasn't as tense – or sexual – as Ziva and her boyfriend's. We grew up, went to college, had families. Ziva married her boyfriend, I married mine. I became a forensic scientist, Ziva became an NCIS agent, and she works under our dad's rule now. Most of their forensic work from cases comes down to me, so Ziva and I still manage to talk a lot. But it's still occasionally tense when we talk…_

"Mom! Mom! Auntie Ziva and Uncle Tony are here with their new baby!"

I rolled my chair away from the computer screen and got up slowly from the chair. Being eight months pregnant with my third child wasn't exactly helping my stress levels. Especially since my eldest was eight years old and my youngest had just turned three.

As I headed out of the living room and into the main reception room, I heard my husband trying to control the little one.

"Matthew! Hold still!" Tim exclaimed as he attempted to grab the three year old.

Matthew just giggled and avoided Tim's grip.

I laughed lightly. "Having a little trouble there, Timmy?"

Tim just glared at me. "Katie! Did you get the door?"

"Yeah, she did, Tim." Tony walked into the room with his arm around Ziva's waist. He flashed us a grin. "Hello!"

"Hi!" I waddled over and gave them each a hug. "How are you?"

Ziva smiled at me. "Careful, Abby. The baby."

I stood back and admired the baby in her arms. "Aww! What's his name?"

"Jackson. After Grandpa."

I nodded. Grandpa Jackson had passed away the month before Ziva had given birth, so we felt it would be right to consider that becoming his name. "That suits him."

Tim finally managed to wrestle Matthew into his arms. "Hey, guys."

Tony smirked. "Finally managed to control him?"

Tim rolled his eyes at Tony.

"Did you bring Tali and Jacob?" Tim asked. "Please say yes."

"Tali! Jake! Where are you?" Tony called out.

There were footsteps before three kids came running downstairs. Three kids ran into the reception room: Caitlyn, who was eight, Tali, who was also eight, and Jacob, who was about three and a half.

Tim put Matthew down. "Go and play."

Matthew smiled and ran over to play with the rest of the kids.

I smiled.

"Hey, Tony, do you think you can help me cook something up?" Tim asked as he walked past his brother to the kitchen.

Tony nodded. "Sure." He followed Tim into the kitchen.

I gave Ziva a small smile. "Come, sit down."

Ziva nodded, and I led her to the living room.

"So, how have you been?" I asked as we both sat down.

Ziva smiled. "I've been good."

"That's nice." It was quiet for a moment before I spoke up. "I've been writing a story, you know."

Ziva frowned. "You have?"

I nodded.

"What is it about?" Ziva asked as she started rocking the baby in her arms.

"It's about… the _incident_," I said quietly.

Ziva froze. "_That_ incident?"

I nodded. "I thought that it would be nice to let our kids know about our pasts… just in case we're not here to tell them."

She looked away from me. "Abby…"

"Ziva?"

She sighed. "Yes?"

"Did you ever forgive me for _it_?" I asked.

She was silent for a little while before she looked up at me. "Abby…"

"It's a simple question, Ziva. It's been going on for years."

"Yes!"

I stared at her. "You… you did?"

She nodded. "It was… hard at first, but when I started dating Tony, I realized what I missed out on all that time – the love, the care, the lack of alcohol…"

I laughed lightly at that point. "Yeah…" I paused. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ziva shrugged. "It never came up."

I feigned horror. "So you didn't even think about telling me?" I gasped.

Ziva was the one to laugh this time. "Maybe."

I shook my head at her.

"Why did you want to know?" she suddenly asked me, curious.

I glanced over at my computer before shrugging. "No reason." I smiled at her. "I just felt like asking."

Ziva nodded before looking down at the baby. "Do you want to hold him?"

I nodded, and Ziva walked over to me and placed the baby in my arms. I smiled down at him as the squirmed slightly in my arms.

_For the past six months I've been recalling this story for you. When I look back to that event, I always find that I'm never able to forgive myself for what happened. I always find myself slapping myself whenever I think of what happened, and sometimes I wish I hadn't done what I did that night._

_But other times, like when I held baby Jackson for the first time, I realized that maybe, just maybe, there was a reason why I killed Ray. Maybe it was so that Ziva could have a second chance at a relationship… so that she could fall in love with someone else that she was meant for._

_Because our family has never been this close together. And it will always get closer._

_At one time, I thought I was the 'Sister Maude' of our family, the one who drove us apart. But I'm not._

_I am Sister Abby, the one who brought us_ together.

**Well, there it is. The story's over. I hope you enjoyed it!  
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